New Delhi: The streets of Nepal have erupted once again—this time over the right to speech and dissent. Months after the country saw one of the fiercest pro-monarchy protests, fresh protests erupted against the K.P. Sharma Oli-led government after it enforced an overnight ban on 26 social media platforms for refusing to comply with its new directives regulating social media.
But at the heart of the movement lies something deeper: A generational outcry against corruption and authoritarian tendencies.
At least 19 people are reported dead, according to local reports, and dozens injured, after Nepalese youth took to the streets demanding accountability, transparency, and above all, freedom of speech.
The ban that came into effect 4 September midnight was criticised by human rights groups and journalists. However, the Nepal IT ministry in its defence, said the companies had been allotted a week to register following the court order, but had failed to meet the deadline. Subsequently, an order to “deactivate” all platforms had been issued.
Tensions simmered over the weekend, and by Monday morning, the anger spilled over onto the streets, including in PM Oli’s hometown, Damak. The government has now called for an emergency security meeting even as the country is under a nationwide curfew.
A ban on dissent and a court order
The immediate cause of protests was the enforcement of a government directive mandating registration of all social media platforms with Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The ban follows months of legal and administrative efforts to enforce mandatory registration of all social media platforms operating in Nepal. The policy is rooted in the Social Media Operation Directives issued in November 2023, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Since March this year, the ministry has repeatedly issued notices urging platforms to comply, culminating in a final seven-day registration ultimatum on 27 August, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The ministry cited a Supreme Court ruling from September 2024, the full text of which was made public on 16 August, as legal backing for its position. A second, related verdict was issued Wednesday, strengthening the government’s authority to act against non-compliant platforms.
In its decision, a rare nine-member extended full bench of the Supreme Court, led by then-Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, ruled that both digital and social media networks must be registered, monitored, and held accountable. The verdict emphasised the dangers of unchecked content circulation, especially viral false information, which could undermine public trust and disrupt judicial proceedings.
The ruling specifically cited concerns about fake or fictitious identities on social media, and emphasised that “online and social media platforms of domestic or foreign origin should be mandatorily registered… and mechanisms should be in place to evaluate and monitor undesirable content”.
The court later also ruled in favour of the government’s right to restrict unauthorised broadcasting through OTT platforms, YouTube, and internet browsers, particularly if they contain foreign advertisements and are not registered with Nepalese authorities.
These rulings effectively gave the green light to the Oli administration’s move to ban 26 popular platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp, sparking a wave of nationwide protests led primarily by the youth.
Yet, this wasn’t just about the internet. The tipping point came after years of growing frustration with the political system, one that was marked by corruption scandals, economic stagnation, and broken promises.
Dr Raj Kumar Sharma, Senior Fellow, NatStrat and MoFA Visiting Fellow, NCCU, Taiwan told ThePrint: “The immediate trigger of ongoing protests in Nepal is a government ban on social media platforms which has immensely angered the youths. However, there are other factors at play. There is a significant disconnect in Nepal between the older generation and youth driven by economic disparity and differing perspectives on economic opportunities and governance in the country.”
“The older generation may have historically encouraged migration from Nepal and have conservative views, the youth want reform and are frustrated over corruption and lack of opportunities at home. They have been using social media platforms to highlight these issues which have created concerns in the government. Some youths have even targeted the elites in Nepal whose children get best education and employment opportunities while common youths continue to suffer,” Dr Sharma said.
Former Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda echoed the call of youth and wrote on X Sunday: “Lift the ban on social media and immediately address the demands against corruption. The government should take responsible and concrete steps to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.”
He had earlier said: “The government’s step to impose a ban on social media is wrong. The protest that the youth are going to hold against the government’s corruption and the social media blockade is natural. The government should not have the audacity to use force against the protest. It is clear that our movement against corruption continues.”
सामाजिक सञ्जालमाथि रोक लगाउने सरकारको कदम गलत छ। सरकारले गरिरहेको भ्रष्टाचार र सामाजिक सञ्जाल अबरोधका विरुद्ध युवाहरूले गर्न लागेको प्रदर्शन स्वाभाविक छ। प्रदर्शनमाथि सरकारले बल प्रयोग गर्ने धृष्टता नगरोस। भ्रष्टाचारका विरुद्ध हाम्रो आन्दोलन जारी रहेको कुरा स्पष्ट छ।
— ☭ Comrade Prachanda (@cmprachanda) September 7, 2025
On Monday morning, thousands of youth gathered at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu, carrying books symbolising the fusion of youth, protest, and education. The rally, organised by the group Hami Nepal, an NGO in Nepal had sought prior approval, but it quickly spiraled into chaos.
Protesters breached barricades near the Parliament, leading to violent clashes in New Baneshwar. The police responded with tear gas, water cannons, baton charges, and eventually live ammunition.
Authoritarian rule & pro-monarchy protests
Nepal has cycled through 14 governments in 16 years. Each coalition collapses faster than the last. Political instability has bred corruption, youth unemployment, mass migration, and rising debt. Many young Nepalese now see no future in their homeland—unless something changes drastically.
Nepal has been on the boil since the beginning of this year. Earlier in March, royalist factions re-emerged, staging separate protests calling for the restoration of constitutional monarchy and the return of Nepal to being a Hindu state—a direct challenge to the secular republic established in 2008. The rally led to the death of at least two people dead, including a journalist, and left dozens injured.
Even editorials are now issuing warnings over the fragile state of democracy and how protests have toppled governments in South Asia recently.
“The government would be foolish to take the youth lightly. Such impromptu youth-led movements have toppled even entrenched regimes, even in our own neighbourhood, most recently in Bangladesh. These movements have a momentum of their own and it is impossible to predict their outcome. But the world over, what fuels them is the apathy of the ‘old establishment’ to concerns of the youth and systemic efforts to suppress free speech. The anger of Nepali youths is justified too. The decision to regulate social media platforms in order to bring them in line with Nepal’s legal and social realities was right. Yet the execution was dead wrong,” The Kathmandu Post wrote in its editorial.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also Read: Lipulekh: Why Himalayan pass is at centre of latest India-Nepal diplomatic flashpoint